In this guide
Most cover letters are skipped. A recruiter opens one, sees "I am writing to apply for the position of…", and closes the tab. A good cover letter is read because it earns attention in the first sentence.
Open with a hook, not a formality
Skip "Dear Hiring Manager, I am writing to apply for the role of X." Open with the most interesting relevant thing you have done. "Last year I moved a 12-million-row database from MySQL to Postgres with zero downtime — the kind of work this role calls for."
Show you read the job description
Pick two or three specific things from the posting and connect them to specific things you have done. Generic letters get generic responses.
Tell a short story, not a list
The middle paragraphs are one brief narrative: a problem, what you did, the measurable result. People remember stories and forget bullet points.
End with a clear next step
Not "I look forward to hearing from you." Try: "I'd be glad to walk you through how I approached the X project in fifteen minutes — would Tuesday or Wednesday work?"
Keep it under 400 words
If the reader has to scroll, you have lost them. Three short paragraphs and a one-line close is all you need.
Draft from your résumé's facts
Start from the strongest facts on your résumé — the numbers, the names of what you built — rather than a blank page. If you use an AI draft, treat it as a starting point: add one specific story and your own voice, or it reads like everyone else's.
- Cover letter
- Applications